Devlog #2 – From Theory to Implementation

Project Progress

This session marked the transition from learning concepts to beginning the actual development of the Collision Risk Analysis Tool. I continued strengthening my Python skills while also applying orbital mechanics to real satellite data.

What I Worked On

• Completed one additional Python lesson to improve my understanding of programming concepts and syntax.
• Learned about Two-Line Element (TLE) data and how it is used to describe a satellite’s orbit.
• Studied the different parameters contained within a TLE and how they represent a satellite’s position and motion.
• Used TLE data to manually calculate the miss distance between satellites, helping me understand the mathematics behind conjunction analysis rather than relying on existing software.
• Began writing the first sections of code for the Collision Risk Analysis Tool, laying the foundation for future development.

Challenges

• Understanding the structure of TLE data required careful study, as each value represents a specific orbital parameter.
• Translating orbital calculations into code was more challenging than performing them manually, requiring additional planning before implementation.

What I Learned

• TLE data provides the essential orbital information needed for satellite tracking and conjunction analysis.
• Calculating miss distance manually gave me a much better understanding of how collision risk is determined.
• Writing software for orbital analysis requires both programming knowledge and a strong understanding of the underlying physics.

Next Goals

• Continue developing the Python codebase for the application.
• Automate the process of reading and interpreting TLE data.
• Implement calculations directly within the software instead of performing them manually.
• Begin testing the program with real satellite datasets to verify the accuracy of the calculations.
• Research methods for estimating collision probability once miss distance calculations are functioning correctly.

This session was an important milestone because it connected the theoretical concepts of orbital mechanics with practical software development. By combining Python programming with real TLE data and beginning the implementation of the tool, the project has now moved from the research phase into active development.